Vice President Kamala Harris’s upcoming memoir is already stirring controversy inside Democratic circles — and it hasn’t even been released yet.
Excerpts published by The Atlantic reveal Harris directly criticizing the Democratic Party’s decision to unite behind President Joe Biden for the 2024 election, calling it “reckless” and arguing that the stakes were too high to leave the choice of nominee to one man’s ambition.
Her candid reflections have triggered sharp responses from Biden loyalists, many of whom feel blindsided by her decision to publicly question her former running mate after his withdrawal from the race and subsequent cancer diagnosis.
Harris’s Blunt Words in the Book
In the excerpt, Harris suggests Democrats failed the country by consolidating behind Biden instead of seeking alternatives.
“The stakes were simply too high. This wasn’t a choice that should have been left to an individual’s ego, an individual’s ambition. It should have been more than a personal decision,” Harris wrote.
The passage signals a striking departure from the deference Harris showed Biden during and immediately after the 2024 campaign, when she praised his leadership even after he endorsed her as his successor.
Biden Allies React With Anger
For many Democrats close to Biden, Harris’s words feel like a betrayal.
“No one wants to hear your pity party,” one former White House staffer told Politico, accusing Harris of rewriting history to protect her own image.
Another aide, who worked on the Biden-Harris campaign, said the memoir struck a nerve given Biden’s health struggles. “I hate that we’re beating up on a man struggling with cancer, and [who] did genuinely serve our country pretty damn well, even if he made a critical error at the end.”
That aide added that what frustrated them most was timing: “Maybe what is even more painful is that we needed more of this distinction and acknowledgement during the campaign. … I’m most offended by this being too little, too late.”
Another Biden-world voice echoed the same frustration: “Why didn’t she do this during the campaign, when her main imperative would’ve been to distance herself because there was an election going on?”
What Harris Meant to Say
Sources close to Harris insist the book is not a takedown of Biden, but rather an honest account of her political journey.
“She set out to be candid in this book,” one person familiar with the project said. “That includes her struggles balancing loyalty to President Biden with political realities, but also reflections on her own missteps.”
Indeed, Harris also writes about moments when she faltered on the campaign trail and failed to distinguish herself as a leader in her own right. But her acknowledgment that Biden had “grown tired” as the race wore on — following earlier awkward comments where she described him as “very much alive” — is what drew the sharpest reactions.
A Party Divided on the Future
The fallout comes at a time when Democrats are still grappling with how to move forward after the 2024 defeat. Biden dropped out of the race after a disastrous June debate against Donald Trump, immediately endorsing Harris. But the lack of a contested primary left many in the party feeling boxed in.
Democratic strategist James Carville recently summed up the mood bluntly: the party wants nothing to do with 2024 veterans in 2028.
“Anybody that had anything to do with 2024, the party wants to move on from that,” Carville said on his podcast. “This isn’t anybody’s fault. But if I were your advisor, I’d say: don’t run again.”
Carville extended his advice beyond Harris to other figures tied to that election cycle, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Harris’s Next Chapter
For her part, Harris has already announced she will not be running for California governor in 2026, saying she wants her next chapter to be “outside elected office.” Still, many Democrats believe the memoir could be a soft launch for a possible political comeback.
The candid tone of her book — and the backlash it has sparked — raises questions about whether Harris is attempting to reset her image, distance herself from the Biden years, or simply close the chapter on one of the most bruising campaigns in modern political history.
The Bigger Picture
The controversy highlights the enduring tensions inside the Democratic Party following Trump’s return to the White House. Harris’s memoir, while personal, risks widening the divide between those who stood by Biden to the end and those who believe the party failed by not pushing for new leadership sooner.
Whether Harris is truly done with politics remains to be seen. But what is clear is that her words are still powerful enough to ignite fierce debate — even among her own party’s loyalists.
